Combination socket and switch



March 26, 1935. 'M'. J. BUTLER COMBINATION SOCKET AND SWITCH Filed Sept.27, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l I wage/$325M March 26, 1935. M, J, BUTLERCOMBINATION SOCKET AND SWITCH Filed Sept. 27, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Buf/er I ATTORNEY.

A l/chae/ %wil Patented Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcs Theinvention is a combination socket and switch which is adapted to operatea cluster of lamps so that with'one movement, one lamp will be lighted,another movement, a part of the lamps will be lighted, another movement,all

of the lamps will be lighted, and another movement, all the lamps willbe extinguished.

The object of the invention is to provide means for fighting one or anynumber of lamps in a cluster by a common operating member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination switch whichmay be operated by a pull cord so that by pulling the cord a difierentnumber of times different numbers of lamps may be lighted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination switch inwhich difierent movements thereof may connect different circuits havingdifferent numbers of lamps, in which the switch may be positioned in asocket of one of the lamps or at a remote point.

Another object of the invention'is to provide a combination switch forlighting one or any number of lamps in a cluster which may beincorporated in the socket of an electric lamp.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination socket forlighting one or any number of lamps in a cluster which may readily beadjusted to light any of the lamps desired.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a combinationswitch for lighting one or any number of lamps in a cluster which is ofa simple and economical construction.

With these ends in view the invention embodies a socket switch having arotating spring bar, a plurality of contacts adapted to be engaged bythe ends of the bar, said contacts completing different circuits, andmeans for rotating the said bar thru continuous steps.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing a light fixture having a cluster of lamps inwhich the device may be used.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the lamps andcircuits thereto.

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the switch with the cover insection. I

Figure 4 is a cross section thru the switch on line 44 of Figure 3showing the operating segment.

Figure 5 is a similar section on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view showing an alternate arrangement in which the switchmay be operated by a push button.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a switch of an alternate design in whichthe contact bar may be operated by turning a button.

Figure 8 is an exploded view showing the disc in which the contactmembers are mounted in perspective, and the ratchet and operating arm inelevation.

In the drawings the device is shown as it may be made wherein numeral 1indicates the contact bar, numeral 2 the operating segment, and numeral3 an insulated member holding the switch contacts.

The contact bar is made of a springy material and is rotatably mountedon a shaft 4 and on the back of the bar is a notched disc 5 adapted tobe engaged by teeth 6 on a disc 7 which is attached to the segment 2.The segment 2 is preferably made of fibre or may be made of any otherinsulating material and is rotatably mounted on the shaft 4. The segmentis resiliently held upward by a spring 8 and may be pulled downward by acord 9 mounted and held in a groove 10, and it will be, noted that eachtime the cord 9 is pulled downward the tooth 6 will engage one of thenotches of the disc 5 and rotate the disc and bar 1, which is attachedto it, thru an angle of degrees, however, it will be understood thatthis distance may be varied depending upon the number of circuits to becompleted by the switch.

As the spring bar 1 advances it will engage contact points in the member3 and complete circuits therethru and these circuits are arranged sothat the first time the segment is moved from the neutral position inwhich it is shown in Figure 4, or when it is moved to the first positionit will light one lamp, which is indicated by the numeral 11, the nextmovement moves it the second position in which it will light two lamps12 and 13 in addition to lamp 11, and in the third position it willlight the lamps 14, 15 and is in addition to the lamps 11, 12 and 13, sothat in this position all of the lamps will be lighted.

The lamps are therefore connected in three circuits supplied by twowires 1'? and 18 that may be connected to any suitable source ofelectric current. lhe Wire 17 is directly connected to of the lamps thrua wire 19 and short connecting wires to the individual lamps, and thewire 18 is connected to the lamps thru the switch. The wire 18 isconnected to a contact point 20 and also by a wire 21 to the shaft 4 inthe center of the switch and as the bar 1 is mounted upon the shaft itwill be supplied with current from the wire 18 in all positions. On oneside of the switch is an elongated contact bar 22 that is connected by awire 23 to the wire 17 thru the lamp 11. It will be noted that as thebar 1 passes from the neutral position, as shown in Figure 4, in whichany of the lamps are not lighted, in a counter clock-wise direction, asindicated by the arrow, to the first position in which oneend of the barengages the contact 20 and the other-the first step of the contact 22, acircuit will be completed from the wire 18, thru the contact 20, thruthe bar 1, and the contact 22 to the lamp 11 thru the wire 23, and fromthe opposite terminal of the lamp thru a wire 24 to the wire 17. Withthe' bar in this position only one lamp, 11, will be lighted. As the barmoves to the next position so that one end will engage a contact 25, asshown in Figure 5, a circuit will be completed from the wire 18, thruthe wire 21, the shaft 4, the bar 1, the contact 25, and a wire'26 thruconnecting wires 27 and 28 to the lamps 12 and 13 and from the lamps tothe wire 17 thru the wire 19. At the same time the opposite end of thebar 1 will remain in engagement with the contact 22 so thatthe circuitwill also be completed thru the lamp 11.

As the bar 1 is advanced another step to the third position it willengage a contact 29 and also remain in engagement with the contact 25thru an extension 30 which extends almost to the contact 29 and isarranged so that the end thereof will engage the side of the bar 1 withthe bar on the contact 29 to complete a. circuit thru the contact 25sothat the lamps 12 and 13 will remain lighted. At the same time acircuit will be completed from the wire 18, thru the wire 21, the shaft4, the bar 1, to the contact 29, and from this contact thru a wire 31and connecting wires 32, 33- and 34 to lamps 14, 15 and 16, and theopposite terminal of these lamps will also be connected to the wire 17thru the wire 19. At the same time the opposite end of the bar 1 willremain in engagement with the contact 22 and complete the circuit thruthe lamp 11, so that in this position all the lamps will be lighted. Itwill then be notedthat as the bar 1 is advanced to the next position itwill be in the neutral position, as shown in Figure 4, in which any ofthe circuits are not completed, and all of the lamps will beextinguished.

It will be noted that the contact points in the member 3 may be of anytype or design, may be arranged in any manner, and may be connected tothe wires in the different circuits by any means. In the design shownthecontacts are arranged in recesses 35 in the member 3 and theserecesses are inclined representing teeth or notches in a ratchet, sothat the member 1 will snap from one position to the other and as itsnaps into the tnotches'it will be located and positioned to "positivelyengage the contacts so that the contacts will be positively completed ineach step. The lamps may also be arranged and connected in the circuitsso that any number of lamps may be lighted with each step and as manylamps as desired may be provided in the whole fixture and also in eachcircuit. It will also be understood that the connection of the wires tothe contact points may be made as shown in Figure 3 or in any othermanner.

In the design shown in Figure 6, the disc 8 is replaced by a disc 36having teeth 37 in the other surface and these teeth may be engaged by adog 38 pivotally mounted on the lower side of a button 39. The button 39is slidably mounted in a tubular member 40 and resiliently held outwardmaa'zoo by a spring 41 and it will be noted that as the button 39 ispressed inward the dog 38 will engage one .of the teeth 37 and move thedisc 36 and contact bar 1 thru the distance of one step or from onecontact point to another. The lower side of the member 40 may beprovided with a lug 42 which will engage the dog-38 and limit theoutward movement of the button 39.

In the design shown in Figure '7 the switch is provided with a button 43which maybe mounted on the shaft 4 and turned by hand to operate thecontact bar 1.

It will be noted that as the segment 2 is pulled downward by a chain orcord 44 one of the teeth 6 will engage one of the notches in the disc 5and move the disc and bar 1 thru the distance of one tooth or anydistance desired depending upon the number'of circuits or contacts inthe socket. It will be noted that the switch may be positioned so thatthe segment 2 may be pulled downward in order to operate the contact baror the position thereof may be inverted so that the segment may bepulled upward, as in the design-shown in Figure 1 it is preferred topull the segment upward with a cord 44 which extends upward thru ahousing 45, and thru a plate 46 at the top of the fixture. In thisdesign a flexible Itwill be understood that other changes be made in theconstruction without departing from the spirit of the invention. One ofwhich changes may be in the use of the device in a lamp, cluster oflamps, or in a lamp circuit of any other type or description, anothermay be in the use of other means for making and breaking the circuits,another may be in the use of other means for operating the circuitbreaking means, and still another may be in the arrangement of the lampcircuits or in the means for connecting the lamps to the diiferentcontact points.

The construction willbe readily understood from the foregoingdescription. In use the device may be provided and installed as shownand it will be noted that it may be so arranged that it may be mountedin the socket of one of the lamps of the cluster as shown. The lamps maybe mounted in the housing 45 and the sockets held therein in any manneror by any means. It will be noted that with the lamps arranged andmounted in this-manner it will be possible to light one or any number oflamps by pulling the cord or turning the switch a difierent number oftimes. It will also be understood that the arrangement of the contactpoints may be used in a switch of any other type or description and maybe operated by any other means. It is also not necessary that the switchbe located in one of the lamp sockets, or in the cluster oflamps, as itmay be located at a remote point and connected to the lamps by wires.The switch may also be used for any other purpose.

Having thus fully described the invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by" Letters Patent, is:

As an article of manufacture, a socket switch of the type constructedseparate and independent from a lamp bulb, but adapted to be used incombination therewith, an insulating member having a plurality ofcontact points radially positioned therein, with positive points on oneside thereoi and with a continuous negative point on the opposite sideand extending thru an arc of suflicient length to provide contact of across member with any part thereof when contacting any of the positivepoints one of said positive contact, points having an extensionextending toward but not engaging an adjoining p0int,-afid adapted toengage a cross member contacting said adjoining point, a segment havinga pull chain adapted to move said segment thru a predetermined distancewith a positive movement, a

spring adapted to return said segment, a plurality of ratchet teeth onone side 01' said segment, and

an arm operated by said segment thru said ratchet teeth, and adapted tobe moved step by step, said arm positioned to engage said positive andnegative contact points and also positioned to be moved to a neutralposition out of engagement with all 0! said points.

MICHAEL J. BUTLER.

